Moments of Lightness
by ArtemisBAMF1218
Summary: For even in Shuriki's reign whenever Esteban and Paloma talked there was a small moment of lightness. That there could be someone to trust in these dark times.


**This has been going around in my head for a while so I wrote down the four "scenes" of Paloma and Esteban of things I imagined of Shuriki's reign, connecting to present like why they have a rivalry, how Paloma got her fan, why she dresses so conservatively, that yellow neck thing Esteban has, how she got greedy etc. A lot of this headcanon was inspired by daydreamingobsessed.**

Esteban tried to avoid flinching at the ear piercing volume Shuriki was emitting as she heard the latest report of the trade deal between Satu and Avalor.  
"I want him in!" Shruiki shrieked, "How could Satu have duped us. I said we should be the ones getting more money out of the deal."  
"Uhh, The Magister of the Guild is a she." A guard piped up to Shruiki's glare  
"What?" She hissed  
"You killed Master Mascarenas and his associates last week because you suspected him of rebelling."  
"Oh, right" Skruiki smiled, "So who do we have in charge now?"  
"His ward, your Grace. His daughter." Higgins put in  
"She better have a good explanation." Shruiki looked at the mirror once more, admiring her reflection and preening. "Bring her in."  
Esteban's eyes turned toward the door where Paloma Mascarenas walked in. He had seen her around when he was younger, whenever her father came to talk to King Ronaldo. She had been so vain and cocky, what with her father as a very important man in Avalor. She and he would get in the most petty fights.

Paloma looked be in her twenties now. Still pretty with her brown eyes, and slender frame accented by a silk teal gown. Her hair in tendrils to frame her face as the rest flowed down her back.  
But she looked like she lost most of her arrogance for now. She looked terrified as she stood in front of Shuriki's throne. As one should. Esteban shuddered as he remembered Shuriki ruthlessly taking over Avalon, killing anyone in her way.  
"Explain yourself." Shuriki demanded with a tone of steel, "What were you doing? Making a fool out of Avalor? Letting Saturday gain the upper hand. You signed a contract that gave them a quarter of our exports for only a 4th of theirs! What were you thinking? YOU are the one who is suppose to lead the Guild, do you know anything about fine print?" Shuriki sneered  
"I..I thought..I mean in the long run, the trade will work in our favor. By exporting our goods at slightly higher prices than their imports, eventually we.." Paloma tried to gather her thoughts into an explanation but Esteban could see that Shuriki had no patience to hear. She never did. She only cared that things got done.  
"Eventually." Shuriki cut her off, "What does that have to do with now?"  
"Your Grace, I thought.."  
"You are a failure. Avalor is the best trade city in the world, the height of sophiscation and your mistake could ruin our reputation. It would let other countries think they can deal whatever they want with us. Are you trying to make a fool out of Avalor, Mascarenas? Hmm? You are working like your father. Slowly ruining us from within.."  
"No! No, no your grace I wasn't trying to do anything against Avalor or you I swear" Paloma cried  
"Silence." Shuriki got up from her throne, taking a knife that the Captain of the guard handed her.  
Shuriki came up in front of Paloma, and surveyed her wth a critical eye, "Honestly, I don't know why I allowed you in my service. You should be a prostitute. It would be more fitting considering to your clothing choices." She dismissively waved a hand over Paloma's partially covered shoulder. "That way you can actually make money."

Shuriki grabbed her firmly by the chin, "I won't fire you for now. It's too much work finding people. But if you dare mess the next trade deal and you do not get me the 12 pounds of diamonds I requested. Well..." she made a small slice on the girl's cheek.  
Shuriki turned away, handing the blood specked knife to Esteban.  
"Till next time" she smirked  
Paloma stiffened and walked backwards out the door.  
It wasn't until much later in the day when Shuriki was having her daily routine of looking at herself, and Esteban finished any miscllaneous duties, he decided to pay a visit to the guild.  
Esteban quietly knocked the office door of the Trade's Guild before he entered.  
"Señora Mascarnes, I would like to discuss today's meeting with you." He entered to see Paloma frantically looking through papers, almost on the verge of tears. Her cheek faintly red from the scar. The room was a mess with piles of paper, boxes of trinkets and unorganized seats of furniture compared to the tidiness of the warehouse.  
She jumped up with a start, "What? Has she changed her mind? Are you..Are you going to kill me?"  
"No" Esteban held up his hands, showing his lack of weaponry.

"I just wanted to know what happened? Your father was very good at his job, I thought he would have taught you the same skills. You have been for the last 4 years."  
"Yes" Paloma muttered in agreement, her head down in reverence. Esteban remembered he was in his official uniform of a Chancellor. He sometimes forgot that in the few times he walked in Avalor. He was so used to being in the town, but now everyone looked at him differently due to his position. As Shuriki's right hand man.  
"Well? What made you make the deal?"  
Paloma slowly looked up at him, "I..I did think it was a good contract. I mean we didn't get as much money but the imports would have been very useful for Avalorian resources and workers so I signed. I really wasn't trying to do anything against Shuriki."  
"Isn't there a way you could have gotten more money from it?"  
"I'm sure there was." Paloma nodded  
"And you didn't?"  
"I don't know how." Paloma admitted, "She's right. I don't know what I'm doing. I mean, you see, I was suppose to be in training for 3 more years. Then gradually take over the job. I was suppose to be Master at 30, not now! And..and I can't find anything around here. The guards ransacked my house and the office. They took all my father's belongings. I can't find any contracts, I can't find his will. I couldn't ask for help because all the other officials would love to see me fail and take my position."  
Esteban pitied the girl in front of him. Truly she did look younger than she was right then. Vulnerable, scared.

"I have a solution for that though." He said, "I have some experience in financial matters since being in Shuriki's court." He pulled out a fan he had Ben hiding in his inner coat pocket. He had plucked most of the jewels from it's cover so it showed its actual light blue design of flowers rather than the bejeweled design of a rose. "This, you can use to cover your scar if you wish."  
He picked out a small pile of rubies buried within the pocket as well. "And this you can use as bribes when you need to."  
"Bribes?" Paloma stared at him dubiously  
"Money makes the world go round. And with Shuriki in control, I really don't think we could afford to have too much of a moral compass. Believe me." Esteban thought to when he let Victor get banished. To allowing his family to be trapped in a painting and an amulet respectively. Letting Shuriki kill the king and queen as he stood by meekly.  
Paloma looked at him to continue.  
"I don't know how far along you got to in training but right now as Master of the Guild, what matters is that you make money. That way we can keep Avalor prosperous and keep everyone in standard comfort than poverty."  
"Yes" Paloma leaned forward eagerly, greatful that someone was giving her advice.  
"We need more taxes. Just for a little bit. Put a price on everything. At this time, everyone wants to decorate to have some cheer in their house. So they are more than willing to pay in decorations, candles, food. But what else, we need a bigger revenue, more of a reason to buy this stuff. So that is why we need to organize sales, competitions. In which you must play the people off one another."

Paloma nodded, calculating the numbers in her head, "A harvesting contest would be good. You need to hire workers to plow and of course, materials which could cost extra since they have to be built.." Paloma continued happily, employing more people was necessary.  
"That's it" Esteban encouraged

"Good, really good. Everyone is dismissed." Shuriki called to the officials, waving them out the door, "Ah PAlona, you look less wh***ish. But still quiet vulgar for my court. A s*** among nobles." Shuriki smiled at her.  
Esteban resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Paloma had been dressing less "s****" lately. Her dresses covered her shoulders, and any other skin that could be shown, from her ankles to her collarbone.  
An hour later as they were walking to the docks for a impromptu meeting with sailors, Paloma asked him.  
"Esteban, what is it? Do I really look like a prostitute?"  
"You never looked like a prostitute. Her Grace, is just...Her Grace. Look, you're young and she isn't, that's all."  
"There is a part of Shuriki that is insecure of her looks?" Paloma said dubiously with a look of disbelief.  
"Yeah that's probably not it." Esteban admitted, "But if you want to make her stop trying copying her dress. Put your hair up like a married women. Fancier jewelry, I'm sure you could get it."  
"So like real jewels instead of plain smith shop work. But what about the blacksmith? He needs the money I pay him for his work..."  
Esteban gave her a look.  
"Right, no moral compasses here. I forgot." She fingered her gold tinted chain that had PXPM carved into the stone in the middle.  
"You use your mother's maiden name?" Esteban asked pointing to it.  
"Oh no, I have two middle names actually." Paloma said, "My parents wanted to name me Paloma Prospera Mascarnes but then my mom died so my father wanted to name me Xiomara after her as well."  
"How?" Esteban asked softly. He never knew his parents, no matter how much he begged Francisco and Luisa and his aunt and uncle to tell him, he never got the answer. He sometimes would dream of the day they would return from some long journey and come to him and they would spend the days like a family, and he could say "My Mom and Dad" instead of "My Abuelo and Abuela."  
"I came three weeks early and there were complications...and my mom's body couldn't.." she took a pause to recollect herself "She died almost half an hour after I was born. I wasn't suppose to live either. I was all small and pale, like a paloma. So..yeah."  
"I used to wonder if that is what happened to my mom." Esteban whispered, "But death by childbirth is somewhat a normal occurrence so I thought Francisco and Luisa would tell me. I just wonder,"  
Paloma put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure they didn't abandon you because it had anything to do with you. After all you were left with your grandparents and they are so..I mean we so kind."  
"Well they would definitely abandon me now" Esteban thought to himself, "And my grandparents wouldn't be so kind if they knew what I had helped do."  
Esteban mustered a small smile at the girl beside him and tried to push the thoughts away.

Months later, Esteban was walking down the royal palace when he saw Paloma walking ahead. Behind her a guard was obviously trying to look like he was walking casually behind her but Esteban could see him leering at the women's long skirt. Esteban shook his head in disgust. There was nothing to see! She wasn't doing anything and they all looked at her like some sort of sex toy.  
Esteban quickly strode up, and shoved past the guard. "Señora Mascarnes, I must have a word isn't you in my study. Right now."  
He whisked her off to his study and firmly closed the door.  
"I don't like that man." He growled  
"Why Esteba," Paloma smirked with a mocking tone, "Don't tell me you're jealous?"  
"Jealous!" Esteban thought. No, he wasn't. Yes, he didn't like it when other men stared at her. But that only was because they were not gentlemen! They all saw her as "the prostitute" the pretty girl who had nothing in her brain. He wished they could see what he did. Over the months he worked with her to keep Avalor, prosperous he saw her as educated, and sly and witty, and very well-cultured. She was fiercely protective and determined in doing her job as Magister of the Guild. He never could have thought of the many ways to squeeze money out of people as she did. And how to outmaneuver the trade deals to Avalor's favor.  
But jealous...no he wouldn't let himself. It was something he could never do. He couldn't afford to make that kind of liaison in Shurki's court, no matter the women.  
"No" Esteban answered. He thought he saw her smile falter a little but dismissed it as his imagination.  
"I was keeping your virtue" Esteban let the sentence speak for himself.  
Paloma grew solemn, "Thank you, I appreciate it very much."  
"I think it's wrong. You are more than that. You are a valuable member in court."  
"Thank you again." She blushed, then she straightened like she remembered something.  
"I got you this." She pulled out a yellow handkerchief, "I never thanked you for the fan. I got it from Córdoba"  
"It is very fine. Thank you for your gift..and your company." Esteban smiled

"Did you not hear that Esteban!" Paloma beamed pulling him into her office, "She didn't say anything about my appearance. She didn't call me a prostitute! I'm finally doing something right!"  
Esteban tried to match her feelings but felt like he couldn't. He didn't like Paloma's appearance. It was too..it was like Shuriki's. Formal, somewhat regal but didn't hold a candle to the colors and vibrancy of Avalorian dress. Her long brown hair had been pulled into a bun mimicking how Shuriki wouldn't let one thing out of place. Large, heavy-looking emeralds laid at her neck. A hat with an absurd feather poking out, just announcing her presence. No, it wasn't...  
"She didn't call you anything." he pointed out  
"That's music to my ears." She smiled, "This is just the beginning. She'll have to start calling me something. An actual title like yours. Señora or Doña."  
"I don't like this." Esteban blurted out.  
"What?"  
"I don't like this" Esteban gestured to her body "It's not you. Neither is this title thing."  
"Excuse me. Do I not deserve a title? After all I have done. I have brought more money the past two years than my father has ever done in his two."  
"Yes, yes. That is good. But this sucking up to Shuriki."  
"And you don't?" Paloma argued  
"I have to!" Esteban amended vehemently, "I'm her right hand. I'm the one doing all the royal duties here. If I'm gone, Shuriki would neglect it and let some poor, unefficant soul run Avalor to the ground. I am helping Avalor."  
"I'm helping Avalor too!" Paloma retorted "I'm the one that is keeping the economy going, keeping jobs for the people. I'm not letting the other countries take advantage of us."  
"You are making the people buy buy buy to run the economy. You tax the lower villages too much." Esteban said  
"What I'm doing is helping them in the long run. Yes, they have to pay taxes but those taxes provide them with food and shelter. You can't get things if you don't give a little." Paloma crossed her arms  
"But you are using some of the inventory to buy that." He pointed to her necklace.  
"Just this." Paloma hissed "For my own sake. Do you know how hard it is to be taken seriously when you're called a prostitute by the queen? She calls me that in public everyday in front of officials, in front of guests! Do you know how many have treated me like one. Seven offered to pay for my services. Three didn't even bother with the pretense of paying they just tried to force.." Paloma took a shuddery breath before continuing, "I have to look like I'm a part of the court to do my job, Esteban. I have to suck up and do what Shuriki wants and get the amount of money she wants. I don't know why you think that is different from you. You are so close to her. You might as well helped her to.."  
Esteban took a sharp intake of breath, "Because it doesn't matter that you look better now. You are still a lower person even you don't look the part. You only made it because I helped you. You wouldn't make it at all."  
"I would." Paloma's eyes flashed with fury "I know just as much. Even more than you."

"I'm the royal here." Esteban said coldly.  
"You've been overthrown." Paloma answered icily "I can make it just fine without you. So get out of my office."  
Esteban hesitated but with a defiant glare he left. He was the one in the right. He wasn't turning to Shuriki's pet. Right...

 **So from then on, I imagined it developed into the rivalry they have in the present. Who is the one who knows court life/formalities more? Who is the one who could always come out on top. I also imagine Shuriki could see their tension and helped to pit them against each other so there is that as well. But I do have think that they would eventually soften and get together. Maybe just maybe. Palomaban am I right? Anyway I hope you enjoyed the fic.**


End file.
